The present invention is directed to a sliding cargo carrier for use in the storage bed or back of a vehicle. The deck for storing cargo is horizontally slideable and can be moved between an extended configuration and retracted configuration. The cargo carrier further includes additional storage devices that can be added onto the deck or removed from the deck as desired.
Some storage areas in a vehicle are difficult to access. These less accessible areas are typically located in the rear compartment of a vehicle, generally behind the cab of a truck and away from the rear doors of a van, SUV or delivery truck. To maneuver cargo into and out of these more remote areas is difficult and can necessitate crawling into and out of the vehicle when loading or unloading. The task can be cumbersome and time consuming when loading and unloading cargo from a vehicle. As a result, these less accessible storage areas are often left empty when hauling cargo, thereby diminishing the storage capability and efficiency of the vehicle.
Cargo carriers with moveable decks that can slide into and out of a vehicle are known in the prior art. These carriers are adapted for use in automotive vehicles. A moveable deck is typically mounted in the bed or back of the vehicle and can be extended and retracted from the vehicle. Cargo can be loaded onto the deck or unloaded from the deck when the deck is extended. Once loaded, the deck can be retracted into the vehicle. The moveable deck allows a user to readily access those areas of a vehicle that are difficult to reach. However, the cargo carriers of the prior art are permanently installed in the vehicle's storage bed and cannot be readily removed from the vehicle. Consequently, versatility of the vehicle is compromised with the carrier permanently installed in the vehicle's bed.
In addition, cargo carriers of the prior art are generally comprised of rail components that are loosely fitted together. These loosely fitted components are prone to vibrate and rattle against each other when the vehicle is in motion. The vibrations can create excessive noise that can be both dangerous and annoying for the driver and other occupants of the vehicle. Furthermore, the vibrations can cause unwanted wear and tear on the components, thereby decreasing the useful life of the cargo carrier.
Due to the arrangement of the components and the loose fittings of the sliding rails, the support decks of the prior art cargo carriers have an extension capability that is generally limited to less than half the length of the support deck. With such a small extension capability, access to the support deck for loading and unloading cargo is greatly limited. Therefore, with carriers of the prior art, it is difficult to readily access all of the area on the cargo deck's in the prior art.
In the sliding cargo carrier of the present invention, the close tolerances between the upper and lower rails allows the upper frame member and storage deck of the present invention to extend outwardly from a vehicle in which the carrier is installed for a distance of to up to 70% of the length of the deck. This allows a user easy access to the entire storage deck, so that cargo can be readily loaded and unloaded from the vehicle. Furthermore, the shape of the upper and lower rails and the engagement therebetween ensures that the sliding cargo carrier remains stable even when the storage deck is fully extended.
In the present invention, the slideable frame assembly including the deck, the base frame, and the sliding upper frame can be quickly removed from the bed of the vehicle when not needed and then readily reinstalled when desired. Since the sliding cargo carrier of the present invention can be quickly removed and installed in a vehicle, versatility of a vehicle's storage area can be greatly enhanced.
The interlocking panels comprising the deck can be readily disassembled. Along with the remaining components of the present invention, the panels of a sliding cargo carrier can be disassembled are sized to all fit into a standard sized container that can be shipped by conventional carriers, such as the United States Postal Service, Federal Express and United Parcel Service. This enables the sliding cargo carrier to be shipped at an economical cost.
The elements comprising the sliding cargo carrier are manufactured with close tolerances. In particular, the upper and lower rails are precision extrusions which decrease the play between the interlocked sliding rails. When the deck is moved or the vehicle is in motion, vibrations between components of the carrier are deterred which can reduce noise levels and also extend the useable life of the invention.